


Swimming in Happiness

by Miss_Macabre_Grey



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Pool Boy AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-03-03 19:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13347924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Macabre_Grey/pseuds/Miss_Macabre_Grey
Summary: Lance is an honorable employee. Does his job well and does his job fast, but that may not be enough to impress a certain rich boy. Pfft. Whatever. He’s Lance. Everyone eventually likes Lance!Sometimes it happens without even wanting it, though. Not that Lotor minds much.





	Swimming in Happiness

**Author's Note:**

> So I’m trying to graduate in about 3-4 weeks time, and I haven’t been working on my main Lancelot fic. These two short bits are were written already, so I figured I’d post them so I can say I haven’t forgotten you kids, I just don’t have time to write new material — except for my freaking undergrad thesis. Yay.
> 
> These are two really short bits, but after I graduate (hopefully I will) I may make more even if it’s not my usual (I prefer making longer chapters). Still, thanks for clicking and if you don’t care about my main Lancelot series I hope you like this one!

The same doorbell ring as usual. Thursday at 2 in the afternoon, even if it comes a little later, but Lotor tries not to be annoyed at the tardiness. At times like this when Lotor can barely spare a second’s distraction from his work, he wonders why he never gave the guest a key. No matter, Lotor rushes to the door, unlocking it to allow his weekly employee entrance. Though he really should give him a lecture for having the audacity to arrive to work late.

Opening the door welcomes an unfamiliar face.

“Hey! Yeah, sorry, I got lost. Nic called out, so I’m here to clean your pool. These mansions can do crazy things to my GPS, but, uh, this is the Zaikl home, I assume.”

“Says as much on the mailbox outside. New mailmen never seem to arrive late trying to find us.” Lotor really needs to go back to his work, but having a new person complicates his ability to leave.

“Yeah, yeah, but I am the fastest at cleaning pools, so I can makeup for lost time and you can dive in same time as ever.”

Lotor doubts that, and his scowls says as much. Nonetheless, he must take the time to lead the new hire to the pool. More time wasted. Lotor cannot believe his regular would get sick; he could fire him for his inconvenience if the new boy turns out well. Except, in Lotor’s expert judge of character, he does not deem new boy as competent. Even though Lotor walks him across his home, he mentions nothing, no welcome or ceremony until they reach the backyard patio.

“We have our own equipment to the side. Walk around the side of the house to leave.”

The new boy nods and looks at Lotor expecting some other remark. When nothing else comes, he tries not to get too flustered, when though Lotor sees the downtrodden expression on his face. Lotor turns to walk away when he hears a bristle of fabric. From the corner of his eye, Lotor sees a tan, half-naked figure walk toward the pool equipment. 

Lotor cannot recall a single time Nic ever removed his clothes. Not once. Even in the middle of blistering summer heat. Yet, without any prompting and far too much informality, the new boy finds himself confortable to do his job half-exposed. Lotor does his paperwork from home half the time, and not then even he feels inclined to work out of uniform.

As offended as he is, Lotor stares at the lean back exposed to him. The pool boy fails to notice the gaze on him as he reaches for the net hung high, barely in his reach. The stretch of his body makes for quite a show, and Lotor only turns away to look at the discarded shirt. On it, Lotor spots a name tag he had no interest in when the replacement pool boy first walked in. Now, he feels quite pleased to read “Lance” on it.

Lance certainly sounded like a more appropriate pool boy name than Nic. When Lotor sees Lance actually begin working, he leaves, but burns the image of Lance bent over and exposed while working to his memory. Lotor does need to know if Lance slacks in his duties, and, despite knowing it takes a few minutes out of his day, Lotor retrieves his laptop of work to the patio.

Lance, from what Lotor notices, neither slacks nor excels. He finishes cleaning the pool in roughly the same amount of time Nic did. Lies do not bode well with Lotor, so when Lance puts away the equipment he makes sure to confront Lance.

“You know where I live now. I expect you to arrive on time next week. You don’t want to lie to me, Lance, so maybe next week you can prove you’re faster than the other pool boy.”

“O-oh, yeah! I can come back next week if that’s what your saying. I-I was just getting a feel for it today. Next week I’ll definitely be the fastest you’ve ever had!”

“See to it that you are. You did not completely fail me, but I expect you to live up to the standards you made for yourself.” Lotor smirked, making eye contact with Lance only to realize they were a lovely, deep blue that went well with his dark skin. Pretty eyes distracted Lotor from ogling his body unprofessionally, so Lotor was grateful Lance was handsome in a multitude of ways. “Would you like me to escort you out?”

The seemingly kind offer caught Lance off guard for a moment, but he regained his charm and grinned wide. “Oh, sure! Let me put my shirt back on.”

Oh. Boo. Lotor wanted Lance to wait to do that part.  
-  
When Lotor next hears the doorbell, a sense of disappointment settles in his stomach when he notices it rings at exactly 2pm. Lance left an impression on Lotor, but not a good one about appointments. When Lotor walks to the door, he opens it with a heavy heart, fully expecting to see Nic. Instead, he sees an expanse of exposed tan skin, a bright smile, and ocean blue eyes. So Lance actually may be capable of doing his job properly in regards to timing, but Lotor still notices the lack of professionalism. Instead of wearing the company polo to discard, Lance feels comfortable enough, seemingly, to come in a tacky floral shirt unbuttoned.

Keeping his eyes locked to Lance, Lotor avoids letting his gaze trail down. “Arriving on time?”

“Hey, I was serious about getting lost! And you said I had to prove myself, right? You wouldn’t keep me around if I showed up late again.”

With a strained smile, Lotor just nods. To himself, Lotor thinks: “I would not keep you around if you arrive late once,” but, considering the circumstances, he realizes he cannot say that to Lance. Lotor likes things being well organized and scheduled. Lotor does not like Lance, even as he shows the pool boy to the porch.

“I’m telling you, I’ll be faster than any other guy you’ve had!”

Lotor realizes Lance means it truly, as he spun on his heel to get to work and live up to his boast. Disappointing, almost, since Lotor readied another retort, and never got a chance to say it. Lotor realizes of all the complaints to have, he should mark that one as a low priority issue, but Lance removing his shirt again on the poolside porch bar does pose an issue. Again, Lotor sees Lance’s lean back reach for the equipment, but after doing it once, he actually manages to set up with more elegance. Of course Lotor has work, but the deadline he set for himself would not be for another week, and he already passed his benchmark for the day. When Lance looks distracted enough doing his job, Lotor slips away to grab his laptop and “work” on the porch.

He realizes even if he has his laptop out, Lance may still have the ability to feel eyes on him, and Lotor grabs a pair of dark sunglasses to veil the direction of his gaze. He sits on the chair outside with least risk of facing water splashes that still has a good angle of watching Lance. True to his word, though, Lance makes quick work. Lotor finishes only one or two emails before Lance announces he finished.

“Want me to let myself out again?” Lance asks, barely covered in any sweat despite the manual labor in the sun. Lance makes it look effortless, the ease of his smile being warm despite Lance striking a pose in an effort to look “cool.”

“You’re scheduled for another 25 minutes. Do as you wish until then. You get no more or less pay for leaving now if t  
he work is all the same.”

“What? Really? No ‘good job’ for being fast?” Lance has the gall to pout. Lotor has the will to look away.

“A ‘good job’ comes from satisfactory work. Being fast is only part of the duty you have. In fact, I think I see a leaf floating right behind you in the water.”

“What, no way!” Lance double takes behind himself, only to see nothing besides clean and pristine water. “Y-you liar!”

Lotor shrugs. “If you really believed in your work, you could have noticed the trick. The fact it worked means you have a shred of doubt that you could have not given me quality care.”

Lance rolls his eyes. “Or, maaaybe, I’m, you know, _ensuring_ how awesome I am. Besides! It’s a dick move anyway! If it’s good then it’s good!”

“Precisely. If is good then it’s good.” Lotor pushes his laptop to the side, giving Lance his full attention now that the conversation allows him to openly do so. “Next week should I assume you’ll preform well enough you won’t be able to conceive there being something wrong with my pool?”

“Pfft. There’s tons wrong with the pool. Namely, the attitude of the pretty boy owner.” Lance bites his bottom lip, Lotor notices through his sunglasses. “But,” Lance shuffled between standing more on on foot than the other. “But, I mean, yeah, I’ll see you next week.”

Lotor feels inclined to smile, though it nearly falls into a smug smirk category. “That sounds excellent. I haven’t had help as good as you in some time. It would be a shame not to see you next week.”

“Yeah. Yeah, see you around, Mr. Zaikl.”

“You may let yourself out, Lance, but, considering next week is our third ‘date’, do call me Lotor.”

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to my darling Salina who hates me for making her care about Lancelot and stuff. I wrote the first one literally in a chat because it seemed like a cute idea. Lotor in oversized sunglasses? Perfect. When I can I’ll add some of the other cute little things we talked about. Definitely not meant to be an IC masterpiece interpretation of canon, but I hope it’s a fun read for you kids!
> 
> Love,  
> Grey


End file.
